MacBook & iMac Repair in Irvine
Board-level repair on Intel and Apple Silicon. We fix what Apple Store won't, usually for less than half their quote.
Where Apple Store stops, we keep going
When a MacBook fails outside of warranty, Apple's first move is usually to quote a full board or display replacement. That number is often $800 to $1,500. A lot of those failures are a single component on the board (a power IC, a charger chip, a damaged trace) that we can repair at the chip level for a fraction of the cost.
Our technician brings 12+ years of hands-on experience doing this in Irvine. Most of the work is MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, both Intel and Apple Silicon. We also handle iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Studio. If you're staring at a quote from Apple and wondering if there's another option, there usually is. Bring it in for a free diagnostic and we'll tell you straight.
MacBook completely dead? Before you assume the worst, work through our MacBook won't turn on troubleshooting guide. Five 60-second checks revive a surprising number of "dead" Macs, and the guide explains what each symptom means when they don't.
UCI student? We're 10 minutes from campus and offer a student discount with valid UCI ID. See MacBook and laptop repair for UCI students. Newport Beach customers: see Mac repair for Newport Beach for drive times and local context.
Every Mac model, current and older
If Apple stopped servicing it, that often means we still do.
MacBook Pro
M1, M2, M3, M3 Pro/Max, and all Intel Touch Bar models (2016 to 2019). Logic board, screen, battery, keyboard, trackpad, charging port, flexgate cables, GPU and chassis work.
MacBook Air
M1, M2, M3, and Intel models back to 2015. Battery swap on an M-series Air is one of the most common repairs we do. We also handle screen cracks, keyboard, and liquid damage.
iMac
21.5 inch and 27 inch (Intel and M1/M3). Display replacement, fusion drive to SSD upgrade, fan and thermal repairs, GPU board reflow on older models.
Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro
Less common but we do it. Storage upgrades, RAM (where applicable), thermal service, board-level diagnosis on power and boot issues.
What's actually wrong with your Mac
Eight problems make up most of the calls we get.
Won't turn on
Battery, charger IC, SMC, power button, or a board fault. Most are fixable. We have a guide to the diagnostic process.
Read the won't-turn-on guide →Liquid damage (coffee, water, juice)
Power off, do not try to charge. Bring it in fast. We clean the board ultrasonically and replace damaged components, not the whole board.
See a real liquid damage case →Cracked or flickering screen
Drop damage, pressure cracks, vertical lines, dead pixels, flexgate (the famous 2016 to 2019 Pro display cable). Most screens are a same-day fix once the part is in.
Battery dead or swollen
A swollen battery is a safety issue and will push the trackpad up. Stop using it. We replace MacBook batteries the same day on most models.
Keyboard or trackpad problems
Sticky or dead keys (butterfly keyboard era especially), trackpad click failures, liquid damage. Replacement or board-level repair depending on the cause.
Logic board failure
No power, no display, kernel panics, random shutdowns, high current draw at the wall. Our specialty. See our M3 board repair case.
See an M3 Pro board repair →Slow, beachballing, hot
Old SSD getting full, fan needing service, thermal paste long past its date, malware, or a process eating cycles. Often a quick fix.
Stuck on Apple logo, recovery loop
Failed update, corrupted system, SSD on its way out, T2 chip issues on older Pros. We can usually recover without data loss.
Apple Store quote vs what we actually do
Common scenarios. Real ranges. Your situation may vary, free diagnostic confirms.
Apple pricing reflects Apple's published service tiers as of recent quotes. Our pricing is a typical range for the same diagnosis. Free diagnostic, written quote, no work without your approval.
How a Mac repair works here
Drop off or call
Walk in. Tell us what's happening. We log the device, take photos, and start the diagnostic.
Free diagnostic
We figure out the actual fault, not just the symptom. You get a call or text with the cause, the fix, and a flat written quote. If you don't want to proceed, you owe nothing.
Repair
Board work happens at our bench under microscope. Screens, batteries, ports use OEM or OEM-equivalent parts. We test before and after.
Pickup with the receipt
Repair details written out, 90-day warranty on parts and labor. We back what we do.
Real repair cases from our bench
M3 Pro board repair (A2991)
A 2023 MacBook Pro coming in with high current draw and no boot. Step by step diagnosis and the chip that ended up causing it.
Liquid damage logic board recovery
What corrosion looks like on a MacBook board and how we save machines other shops won't touch.
MacBook won't turn on guide
The order we go through to figure out why a Mac is dead, including the cheap fixes most shops skip.
MacBook Pro repair guide (2026)
Full reference for what can be repaired on each generation and what's worth fixing vs replacing.
Micro soldering and board-level repair
The capability that lets us fix what Apple Store won't.
Data recovery
When the SSD is the problem, this is the right starting point.
What customers say
"Sam was very knowledgeable and repaired our MacBook Pro in a timely manner!"
Adam R.
Google Review
"Fixed my logic board on my Mac mini that Apple wanted to replace for a very good price. Highly recommend!"
lemonfacer
Google Review
MacBook repair questions
How much does MacBook repair cost vs the Apple Store?+
It depends on the issue. A few examples from work we do every week. Battery replacement on a MacBook Pro is around $149 to $189 here. Apple typically charges $199 to $249. Cracked MacBook Pro screen runs $399 to $599 with us versus $599 to $899 at Apple. Logic board work is where the gap is largest. We can often repair a failed board at the component level for $349 to $599. Apple replaces the whole board, which is usually $800 to $1,500. Free diagnostic before any work starts.
Will I lose my data?+
Almost never on a normal repair. We don't wipe drives as part of the process. The only time data is at risk is when the SSD itself is failing or already gone. If that's the case, we tell you up front and offer data recovery as a separate service before touching the rest of the machine.
My MacBook won't turn on. Is it dead?+
Probably not. The most common 'dead MacBook' calls turn out to be a failed battery, charging port, or a single component on the logic board that we can replace. Our MacBook won't turn on guide on the blog walks through the quick checks worth trying first. Bring it in for a free diagnostic.
Do you fix water and coffee damage?+
Yes, and it's one of the things we do best. Power the MacBook off, don't try to charge it, and bring it in fast. The longer corrosion sits on the board the more it eats. We ultrasonically clean the board, identify damaged components, and replace them at the chip level. A real case study of this work is on the blog at /blog/liquid-damage-laptop-repair-irvine-logic-board-recovery.
Do you do board-level repair on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3)?+
Yes. A lot of shops in Orange County still don't touch newer M-series boards because the layout and protections are different from Intel. We do. See our case study on a 2023 M3 MacBook Pro (A2991) with a high current draw failure at /blog/macbook-pro-a2991-repair-case-study-high-current-draw-no-boot.
How long does the repair take?+
Battery, screen, keyboard, trackpad, and charging port repairs are usually same day or next day if parts are in stock. Logic board work runs 2 to 5 business days depending on what failed. Liquid damage varies. We give you an honest timeline at the diagnostic, not a wish.
Do you fix the older Touch Bar MacBook Pro models?+
Yes. We work on 2016 through 2019 Touch Bar MacBook Pros including the GPU issues, flexgate display cable problems, and butterfly keyboards. Apple has stopped servicing some of these. We haven't.
What about iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Studio?+
All of them. Common iMac jobs are display, hard drive to SSD upgrades, and fan/thermal issues. Mac mini we see mostly for storage upgrades and the occasional logic board. Mac Studio is rare, but we handle it.
Will the repair void my AppleCare?+
If your Mac is still under AppleCare, the math usually works out better to go to Apple for in-warranty repairs. We're a good fit when AppleCare has expired, when Apple has quoted a board replacement, or when Apple has refused the repair (older models, liquid damage, third-party storage).
Do you use real Apple parts?+
We use high quality OEM and OEM-equivalent parts. For batteries we use cells that meet Apple's spec. For screens we use the same display assemblies that come out of Apple repair channels for older models, and the best available aftermarket display for current models. We're transparent about which is which before you commit.
Is there a warranty?+
90 days on parts and labor. If something we touched fails in that window, bring it back and we make it right.
Can I just drop it off? Do I need an appointment?+
Drop off any time during business hours, no appointment. We're at 18021 Sky Park Cir Suite H2 in Irvine. Free parking right at the door. (657) 321-9934.
Bring in the Mac. Free diagnostic. No pressure.
Walk in, drop off, get a written quote. You decide.
18021 Sky Park Cir Suite H2, Irvine, CA 92614. Open Mon to Fri 9 to 6, Sat to Sun 10 to 4.